What Google Wants From North Korea

1/3/2013 12:01AM

Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson will be taking Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt on a humanitarian visit to North Korea. The WSJ's Evan Ramstad tells us why an Internet company would want to visit the most isolated country in the world.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

I ... the ... all executive chairman Eric Schmidt will travel to North Korea ... in what is being described as the humanitarian visits ... joining me now is reporter Evan Rams that from Seoul ... he added that we were just talking about it and she and Johnny and sad New Year's and giraffes ... and ... looking for signs and that's and North Korea could be possibly opening up to the rest of the world when you really see signs in that speech but could this be the first indication ... that perhaps at North Korea is opening the doors of its ... well ... I would say that if it were as somebody different and Governor Richardson involved I mean Governor Richardson has had no connection in ... North Korea for many many years he's been involved in of ... crisis and Laney ... with the North Koreans ... of Henan and his associates Cunningham could have ... quite a good relationship with the North Koreans ... and so the fact that these two guys are going in the town with Eric Schmidt ... of is that more of a case of Advent entering the work that they've always done with North Korea which is ... just kind of this on ... the Shoals second try at ... least a type of contact ... that goes on ... I'm not sure and in the case then representing the ... great breakthrough ... but on the other hand I'm you know it's it's pretty interesting in that ... they're going to take Eric Schmidt with that ... again and do we know exactly what they will be doing and who will they be meeting inside that the country on this visit ... no on for Chile we don't know any of that ... the of sources confirm this to me is quite familiar with the plans ... but I'm they are not providing any of the at ... that precise ... details of the trip including ... the exact days that they will go and ... it looks like it's going to be in the middle of this month Iverson was just a few days away ... aam and and there's no word on who they will be meeting ... on in the past ... when ... Mr Richardson who is also former U N ambassador and former cabinet member and Democratic administrations ... in the U S ... when he is gone there he has met with ... senior people ... the last time you with though was in December of two thousand ten ... that was director of the Young Gun Island attack by North Korea on South Korea ... and that he was not able to meet with any scene here is a North Korean government ... officials I'm at the time ... aam but ... um ... I mean that foreign ministry types and such but none of the ... super high ... members of the regime ... so ... of course that's what we're on to be watching for is will they come out of ... it that North Korea ... and that tell us that they were able to meet with in China ... okay that perhaps even letting you can't really think of the place that's more closed off especially in terms of internet use its ... ad then North Korea ... so what is being Goebbels that entranced and Eric Schmidt's interest in making this trip would be ... well I mean let's be clear part of its publicity rate its great publicity for below they have been on ... advocates of openness ... of the disc a low share of aam transparency in business and governments ... are around the world ... they of course it had a very high profile on Friday with the government of China ... um and ... so it isn't some ... new ... for this guy to go in and make a statement about ... the importance of ... technology in importance of transformation ... um and transparency and we'll see ... what message he is able to convey to the North Koreans ... I'm in and of course the North Koreans has resigned the on New Year's message that you know we just spoke about yesterday ... we're very very interested in technology write any promote what they call CNC ... computer numerical communication enter some kind of thing like this ... and I'm so they themselves have their own ... internal way of promoting and technology ... although of course in their style which is to try to communicate with the rest of the world and so therefore they close up in it ... from their own people ... yes then of course we did hear Qincheng and just say that I we live in the middle of a modern day add ... industrial revolution I think I think it's ... thanks AmEx added as I fed ... rises as a state of Israel clashed of ... visions of technology and um ... you know this be ... a very interesting moment to see but somebody like Eric Schmidt and saying dude ... yet ... it's certainly well thanks Fran much at and training us from Seoul for more on that story ... indebted Des beest dot com I'm Deborah con thanks for watching ...